Video game website discussion forums are melting down after Gamespot senior editor Jeff Gerstmann was fired yetserday from his job of ten years over what the site’s editorial is calling a problem with the “tone” of a video game review. Gerstmann gave the Eidos game “Kane & Lynch” an average Gamespot score of 6.0 and shortly thereafter his employment with Gamespot, one of the largest and most influential game news websites as well as owned by CNET Networks, was terminated immediately. News of Gerstmann’s dismissal quickly spread across the web thanks to blogs like Kotaku and other gaming websites such as Penny Arcade. Calls for clarification to Gamespot was met with no comment and so far Gertsmann hasn’t decided to go public with his side of the story. That hasn’t stopped one blog from publishing what they claim is an account given by an insider working at Gamespot why Gertsmann was fired. The alleged insider spills that it was pressure from Eidos to Gamespot senior management that led to Gerstmann’s dismissal. “This management team has shown what they’re willing to do,” writes the blog’s source. “Jeff had ten years in and was f***ing locked out of his office and told to leave the building.”

Eidos has taken out a major advertising campaign on Gamespot with the background skin of the website soliciting the third-person shooter. While Gerstmann’s review of “Kane & Lynch” remains online at Gamespot the reader comments have exploded with negative reviews of the game, lowing its average ranking and with many readers crying shame on Eidos.